Fashion shaming

Should you be made to feel guilty for your extravagant purchases? Laura Morel discusses 'fashion shaming'.

ow often have you been asked where you bought your recent purchase from, only to be met by a disapproving glare when they realise the price tag that would have accompanied it? Or maybe you've been asked point blank, ‘can you not think of anything more worthwhile to spend your money on?’ Made to feel guilty for extravagant fashion purchases, or even a little crazy for being so self-indulgent, you might not have realised it, but you were the victim of fashion-shaming.

A lot of my life revolves around fashion. I studied it at University, I wear it, I write about it and most days I even photograph it. But I never considered until recently, that the passion I have for clothes would cause me to be regarded as a women of less substance. Making those that follow the trends (or heaven forbid write about them) feel shameful, promotes the belief that only silly, empty-headed girls would be interested in fashion, unable to devote themselves to more worthy causes. On the contrary, I had always thought as a fashion writer this took education, dedication and skill.

Should those of us that like to buy pricier designer wear be made to feel guilty for our purchases? Does caring about your appearance and spending money on it make you a bad feminist? Should we feel ashamed to say we love fashion?!

When I put on a designer dress, I like to think I’m wearing a piece of art and my wardrobe is my

Hown private collection. Each piece tells a story, has sentimental value and is my investment for the future. I want to be able to pass pieces onto future generations and imagine that they will have a worth, beyond purely monetary value. I believe in the power of fashion, to transform mood, to give confidence and empower people and to impact society.

Maybe the desire to criticise is down to cost? Follow fashion, but why not look to buy cheaper? Because more often than not, you get what you pay for. You start to notice the quality, the detail, the true artistry of designer and couture fashion over your Primark diffused replicas. It would be hard to buy Scoda when you truly understood the mastery of Porsche and so it is that we look to designers that engineer clothes better for us.

Let’s not forget that these cheaper brands are not the lesser of two evils. I am conscious not to contribute to a culture of disposable, throw-away fashion, that will ultimately become land fill. Those that buy cheaply and frequently to keep up with the latest trends are less criticised, but it is becoming a bigger problem for the environment. More and more designers are urging shoppers to buy quality over quantity, contributing to a more sustainable fashion industry.

The question of shame is therefore not one of selfexpression, it is one of affordability. Are you a slave to fashion with a mounting bank debt? Should the industry encourage us to live beyond our means? Of course not.

Fashion has, and will continue to be, a huge statement of individualism and one we should make freely. Just as we should not be pressured to buy high end labels, neither should we be criticised if we choose to do so. In this time of female empowerment lets stop making women feel shameful for their choices. 